


Off the Cuff

by Ririchiiyo



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Actor Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Alternate Universe - Actors, Blind Date, College Student Eren Yeager, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Minor Reiner Braun/Eren Yeager - Freeform, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sort Of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-21
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-06-14 03:46:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15379956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ririchiiyo/pseuds/Ririchiiyo
Summary: When Eren is left hanging at a fancy restaurant waiting for his neglectful boyfriend to arrive, a strange raven-haired man comes in to save him from the embarrassment.They spend the dinner together in pleasant companionship, enjoying each other's company more than they thought possible. What happens when the man turns out to be more than the average Joe he was advertising himself to be?





	1. Pilot

**Author's Note:**

> This was meant to be a cute, short, self-indulgent one-shot, but it turned into this little multichaptered monster. Enjoy! c;

He should have known.

Eren knew he should have expected it at this point— why didn't he? His good-for-nothing douchebaggery asshole of a boyfriend bailed on him on date night. The two of them hadn't gone out on a proper date for far too long, both being busy people with not nearly enough time on their hands. They've been planning this date for _weeks._ Or, at least, Eren has. Maybe he was just getting excited all by himself.

_God, I’m such an idiot._

The waitress came back yet again, to ask him if he was ready to order yet _again_ , while refilling his water cup for the fourth time that night. He was already on his second basket of complementary breadsticks. Honestly, he should be dating breadsticks at this point. Breadsticks would never leave him.

He sunk down a little in his chair at the sympathetic glances the surrounding tables were shooting him. It wasn't hard to tell. A young man dressed up all nicely, sitting alone at a table set for two for nearly an hour? Yeah, do the math.

Even so, Eren sat steadfastly in his seat, repeating in his head like a mantra: _He’s just late. He'll come soon. He's just late._

But really, he knew better. He still hoped, though.

He could hear the whispers. The cloud of shame sunk heavily on his shoulders. He could _feel_ the pitying stares boring into his back. Truthfully, he wished they would just mind their own business so he could be lonely, miserable, and stood-up _in peace._ His ears and cheeks and heart burned with the embarrassment. Really, he should just stand up and leave. It's been exactly 48 minutes past the time they were supposed to meet for their date. His departure was long overdue.

Eren clenched his eyes shut and mentally prepared himself to take the walk of shame right out of the front door. It would be easy. Yes….Easy. If he didn't make eye contact with anyone on the way and fucking hauled _ass_.

He abruptly threw his napkin on the table and snapped open his eyes, barely making a move to stand up when a flash of movement from across the table halted him where he was.

“Oh my god, _babe_ , I’m so sorry! Getting through traffic was like trying to get a hard shit out when it’s just stuck in there.” a man said. He flashed Eren a small smile, smoothly sliding into the seat in front of him.

Well, that wasn't his boyfriend.

Eren was still awkwardly hovering halfway over his seat, gaping at the stranger making himself comfortable across the table. The man seemed to notice Eren's incredulity and leaned forward over the table to whisper in his ear. Eren flushed at the proximity as the stranger placed a hand on the back of his neck to prevent him from leaning away. To any onlookers, it might have looked like an intimate exchange between lovers.

“My name is Levi. Just play along. Whoever stood you up is a dick,” he whispered. Eren gave an involuntary shudder at the warm breath that rolled over his ear.

Eren nodded and promptly sat down because _holy hell,_ was this man the hottest thing he's ever seen in his life.

His grey eyes sparkled amber in the candlelight, the soft lighting accentuating the sharp contours of his face. The flickering glow shone on his silky black hair. A high, narrow nose led down to pink lips that looked _really soft_ -

A thin eyebrow arched and a cough sounded from across the table. Eren blinked and cleared his throat, ears reddening. He hadn't meant to stare for so long.

 _You_ idiot _. You have a boyfriend. You don’t need to be ogling a stranger,_ he chided himself.

The unhelpful little demon in his head pointed out that he _was_ a really hot stranger.

Eren groaned.

“Is everything okay, love?” the stranger— _Levi_ tilted his head at Eren. “I really am sorry that I came here so late. How can I make it up to you?”

A frown was forming at the man's lips, contorting his face into an expression that seemed genuinely worried. His eyebrows scrunched together and his hands came across the table to grasp at Eren's. The boy felt a minute twinge in his chest at the sight.

He hesitated. Eren knew in his heart (probably), that this was all just an act and that he should just salvage whatever pride he had left and play along. But how?

“I, uh… it’s-it’s okay, I was just worried about you, that's all. You really… gave me a fright… there…” he trailed off nervously. There was a reason why he never joined the drama club with his friends back in high school.

Levi’s façade dropped for a split second, revealing a wholly unimpressed look. Then, his tender loverboy expression was back on his face so quickly, Eren was almost sure he'd imagined it. Almost.

Levi leaned back in his chair and smirked at Eren. “I’m here now, aren't I?” He picked up his menu and skimmed over the options. “Have you decided what you're going to eat, yet, darling?”

“Ah, yeah, the…” Eren trailed off as he realized he’d sat there waiting for his dumb boyfriend for just short of an hour and he hadn't even glanced at his menu. He really needed to have a talk with that douchebag.

The unimpressed look was back on Levi’s face. “You’ve been waiting here for that long and you haven't decided yet?”

Eren stared down at the candle and shook his head.

Levi sighed and looked back down at the menu. After a few moments, he straightened up and called the waitress over. “I’ll have this… and he will have this. Thank you.” he said, pointing at the menu.

The waitress quickly wrote down the order, collected their menus, and turned away to hurry back to the kitchen, but not before sending a pleased smile in Eren’s direction. She must have been glad that she didn't have to keep bringing him breadsticks.

As she left, the silence became more and more awkward for the two of them. Eren avoided eye contact with Levi, and said man seemed intent on boring a hole through Eren with his eyes.

After a few minutes of stagnant silence, the stranger cleared his throat.

“You never told me your name,” he drawled. His personality seemed to have taken a 180 turn from his almost sickeningly sweet affection. Eren was a little glad. Somehow, the blank, irritated look suited Levi’s face more than any other expression he had seen so far.

Eren warily shot a furtive glance at the surrounding tables to check if they were still watching. Levi noticed.

“They lose interest after a while. You just need to feed them a little so they can shit it out of their system and then they get bored.”

Eren nodded, still a little cautious. “My name’s Eren. Eren Jaeger.”

“Eren, huh? Your little girlfriend stood you up?”

“No girlfriend. My boyfriend was supposed to come, though.”

Levi looked amused. “Haah, I knew it. Are you a student? Or do you work?”

Eren watched distractedly as Levi picked up his glass of water by the rim.

“Why did you do that for me?”

Levi’s eyes flicked up to meet Eren’s. “What? Can't a guy help out a poor kid who was stood up by some ass? Would you rather I leave right now? People might question why the date was cut so short. Should I stage a breakup?”

Levi stood up abruptly, a deceptively hurt expression on his face. The chair skidded back a decent foot away from the table with a horrible screech. He opened his mouth as if to yell something when Eren panicked and latched onto his wrist with both hands. People watched curiously as the scene unfolded. Didn't they have anything better to do?

“Jesus, no, you don't need to do that. Just- sit down.” Eren rushed out in one breath. Once Levi was sitting down with a smirk on his face, he allowed himself to relax. “Holy shit, you're good at acting. If I didn't know any better, I’d think you were some Hollywood star, or something.”

Levi’s grin faltered for a second and he looked slightly confused. Eren cleared his throat and retracted his hands.

“Anyway, yeah, I’m a student. I go to the university a few streets from Main. I’m also working a few part time jobs to pay off rent, but that's about it. What about you?”

Levi stayed silent for a moment. He kept frowning at Eren, the crease in his brow accentuated by the lighting.

Eren fidgeted in his seat, fiddling with the hem of the tablecloth. Had he said something wrong?

Levi finally relaxed and smiled at Eren— a genuine smile, this time. Dazed, Eren realized that he was wrong. A smile like this definitely suited Levi best.

“I act,” Levi said. “I'm not very good, though. Just a few small gigs, nothing too big, or anything. A commercial for some shitty cologne every now and then.”

Eren bobbed his head in understanding. “That explains the acting skills. You're really good, actually. Have you ever thought of going big?”

“Occasionally.” Levi chuckled, almost to himself.

“Well, _I_ think-”

Eren was cut off by the arrival of the waitress, who set down the meals in front of Levi and Eren, respectively. His mouth immediately started watering.

“One filet mignon and a dry-aged ribeye, for the two lovely gentlemen.” she said with a smile. “Enjoy your meal.”

Eren stared at his plate, mouth watering. “Do I even want to know how much this costs?”

Levi snorted and smoothed out the cloth on his lap. “If you can't afford anything on this menu, why did you come here? Don't worry about it. I'll pay.”

Eren’s hand, which was already curling around the fork resting on the table, froze.

“I can’t let you pay for my meal.” he frowned.

Levi rolled his eyes. “You already had a shitty day, coming here and waiting around for a boyfriend that— ” he looked around the restaurant for dramatic effect— “still isn't here. Let me do my good deed of the day and pay for your meal.”

“Fine,” Eren conceded, picking up his fork to eat his food. “But only because it smells _really_ good and I haven't eaten since noon.”

Levi gave a self satisfied smirk and dug into his own meal.

“Fuck, this is so good,” Eren moaned around a forkful of food. “I don't even care how much this costs anymore. I'm forever in your debt. I'll do anything you want.”

Levi arched a brow. “You sure? I might hold you to that.”

“I don't care. This is the best thing I’ve ever tasted in my life. It's so much better than-than like, peanut butter and pickle sandwiches!”

Levi looked mildly disgusted.

“So why are you here tonight?” Eren asked between bites. “I didn't ruin any of your plans, right? You didn't come here to meet with an old friend or something, right? Or were you…”

Eren suddenly stopped eating and slowly looked up at Levi with wide eyes. In that moment, he reminded Levi of a frightened chipmunk caught in headlights, or something.

“You didn't come here on a date, right? Oh my God, I’m _so_ sorry-”

Levi interrupted Eren by throwing a napkin at his face. “Don't talk with your mouth full. You're spraying food everywhere. It's disgusting. And stop jumping to conclusions. No, I wasn't on a date, and no, you didn't disrupt any plans. I just came here for a casual dinner.”

 _‘Casual dinner…?’_ Eren mouthed incredulously, glancing around at the expensive-looking chandeliers and the many patrons dressed up to the nines for the night.

Eren didn't know what to think of this strange man. A man who, apparently, was some obscure, second-rate actor who had enough money to be dining casually at a place like this. Weren't amateurish actors supposed to be struggling financially? How did he have so much money? Or maybe he was one of the ones who didn't have money, but liked to pretend that they did. Eren vaguely wondered how much debt Levi was swimming in.

He didn't realize he had been staring at Levi until the man snapped his fingers under Eren’s nose and pointed down brusquely at his plate.

The two spent the evening in casual conversation, finding themselves enjoying their time with the unlikely company. When the night ended and they found themselves standing outside of the restaurant, Eren nervously hovered around the entrance. He didn't want this to end.

“Um… Thank you for what you did tonight,” he said. “Really. I almost went home.”

Levi smirked. “You don't need to thank me. It's not your fault your boyfriend decided to be a shit-stained douche.”

Eren let out a self deprecating laugh. “Yeah, well, I was the idiot who decided to wait long enough to see if that douche would come around.”

The two of them fell into silence. Eren scuffed his shoe on the edge of the pavement, his head tilted down in embarrassment. He looked at Levi’s shoes, and then back at his own and frowned. Levi tapped his foot and cleared his throat.

“Give me your phone.”

“Excuse me?” Eren whipped his head around to stare at the (surprisingly) shorter man.

“Give me your phone so I can give you my number.” Levi sighed impatiently.

“I have a boyfriend.”

Levi gave the most long-suffering look. “I know, but that boyfriend left you waiting for a long time tonight. No call, no text. Not exactly boyfriend-ly of him, hmm? We can go on another _real_ date after you dump his ass. Just give me your phone.”

“My phone is dead,” Eren laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “It died about ten minutes before you arrived. I was uh… playing Candy Crush. Why don't you give me yours?”

Levi frowned. “I didn't carry my phone. My mana- I don't have it on me today.”

Eren blinked, not knowing what to say. He wanted the man’s number, but he didn't think he had the mental capacity to memorize ten digits all the way home.

“Tch. Wait here,” Levi said before he turned and disappeared behind the restaurant doors.

Eren shuffled his feet nervously. Should he really be doing this? He should leave now while he still has the chance. It’s wrong to be with another man when he already has a boyfriend. But they _have_ been having problems for a while. It was bound to end eventually, right? And Eren felt warm and fuzzy inside when he was with Levi. With his boyfriend, he always felt nervous. Jittery— like he was walking on eggshells. Like the butterflies he felt on their first date never really left, but instead decided to light his nerves on fire all the time. He felt like he had to be perfect or everything would fall apart.

Sure, he felt nervous around Levi. God, did he feel nervous. But it was a nervous _excitement._ Maybe he needed a change. He’d talk to his boyfriend first, though.

Levi came out of the restaurant, then, a napkin clutched in his fingertips.

“This is so fucking cliché, but for some dumb fucking reason, I wouldn't hate seeing your face again. So here.” he thrust the napkin at Eren’s chest.

Eren huffed out a laugh and accepted the cloth, reading the words on the fibers. Levi’s handwriting was neat and almost artistic, the little blue row of numbers contrasting nicely against the white.

‘ _Levi A. xxx-xxx-xxxx_ ’

He looked at Levi with a grin. “Thanks. I wouldn't hate seeing your face again, either.”

Levi grumbled to himself, looking oddly pleased. “Whatever. Don't brats like you have curfews? Do you even drive?”

“Of course I drive,” Eren snorted. “Been driving this old thing for a few years, now.”

He walked a few feet into the parking lot to lovingly pat an ancient looking copper car. It was a really old model, something Levi thought some crackety old man might've driven.

“That rust bucket is _yours_?” Levi asked incredulously. “That thing is a coffin on wheels.”

“Hey.” Eren frowned. “Don't insult little ol’ Betsy here. She still takes me where I need to go and she was cheap. Broke college student, remember?”

“You named your car,” Levi deadpanned, the words more of a statement than a question. “Whatever. Don't lose that napkin. I don't give my number out very often.”

“Sure won’t!” Eren chirped, patting his back pocket. “It’s safe in here.”

Levi rolled his eyes and started walking towards his own car. “Go home. And make it there in one piece. If I don't hear from you by the end of the week, I’ll just assume you’ve died a tragic death, rolling to your demise.”

“Har-har. Don't worry about me, grumpyface! Goodnight!” Eren laughed across the parking lot.

He unlocked his car and got inside. A smile plastered itself on his face, and didn't seem to be going anywhere any time soon. When he turned the key in the ignition, a terrible sputtering sound came from Betsy’s engine, but Eren didn't mind at all. What seemed to be a horribly embarrassing night actually turned out for the better.

Eren pulled out of his parking spot, practically vibrating in his seat from happiness. He turned the (barely working) stereo up all the way and hummed along to the tune. He spared a glance to his rearview mirror and suddenly stilled in his seat. A sleek, black car pulled out in a spot further down the row, quietly rolling along as it made its way behind Eren.

Was that a fucking Tesla?

* * *

 

Standing in front of his apartment door, Eren tried to decide on the best way to attempt to talk to his boyfriend. The two were awful at communicating, the other never seeming to feel the need to have civil discussions. More often than not, arguments were swept under the rug, never to be brought up again. They really needed to work on that.

Eren sighed to himself and unlocked the door. He stepped in and flicked on the light.

“I’m home!”

A figure tumbled off of the couch, landing gracelessly on the floor. It groaned and picked itself up, sluggishly shuffling its way to the front door.

“Hey, baby, I missed you,” Reiner slurred, leaning down to peck Eren on the lips.

Eren recoiled in distaste. “Have you been drinking again?”

Reiner chuckled and pulled Eren back against his chest. He peppered sloppy kisses along Eren's jawline and down his neck, grabbing at his body.

“Hey, Reiner, we need to talk. Please.”

His boyfriend grunted and began to suck at the skin just above his collarbone.

“No, Reiner, stop. We need to talk.”

Reiner slid his hands down and cupped Eren’s ass. He gave a firm squeeze before Eren pushed him away completely. Clumsily releasing him, Reiner stumbled back a couple steps with a grunt. A pure white napkin was clutched in his hands.

“What’s this?” Reiner whispered, his hands shaking.

Eren panicked. Reiner wasn't supposed to know about that. If things had gone the way Eren liked it to, the two of them would have talked through their problems, the night either ending with the napkin in the trash or in Eren’s hands, but only _after_ Reiner was done and gone. Guilt lodged in his throat.

“What the fuck is this?”

“I was going to talk to you about that.” Eren said quietly.

“Like hell you were!” Reiner roared, turning on Eren. He shook the fabric in his face. “Are you fucking someone behind my back? Did you find someone new to whore around with?!”

A familiar white-hot heat twisted in Eren's head. He opened his mouth, but Reiner spoke before he had the chance.

“Were you so upset that I missed your stupid little dinner that you went off to a little dumbass bar to make me jealous? You slut! You know what-” he dug out a lighter from his pocket and flicked it on. Reiner held it up to the corner of the napkin and let the flame eat away at the paper. “You won't be needing this anymore.”

Eren’s stomach dropped to the floor. He was hoping to himself secretly— _horribly_ — that the night would have ended with Reiner gone and the napkin in Eren’s hands. The number in his phone. Maybe he wouldn't have gotten with Levi right away. Maybe he would've told Levi that it was too soon after a relationship to be jumping into a new one, but maybe Levi would have understood and waited for him, anyway. With that napkin, there was always a chance. That napkin was the only way he had to contact Levi.

And now it was a pile of ashes on the floor.

“You had no fucking right to do that.” Eren growled.

“I’m your fucking _boyfriend_ , I have the right to be mad at you if you're fucking cheating on me! God, you're so difficult! Ever since I started dating you, all you've done is ruin my life! You're so fucking useless!”

“I wasn't fucking cheating on you, you ass! I was stood up— by _you_ — and Levi decided to feel bad for my sorry ass, and I decided to try to have a good night for once in my life! Have you ever considered that I made a new friend!?”

“You don't need any fucking friends! You have me! And do you really think you can convince me that your slutty, bitchy self went out to make _friends_ , and not to cheat on me!? You fucking slut-!” Reiner screamed and shoved Eren back into the wall. His head bounced off of plaster, sending stars spiraling through his vision.

Every word Reiner said was a dagger stabbing straight into Eren’s heart. Did Reiner really believe that of him? How did their relationship last this long with this little trust? How had they fallen so far? Eren could remember that day in high school when an awkward, nervous, yet very charming Reiner asked him out on a date for the first time. He remembered feeling those butterflies. Where did all of that go?

And now! Reiner looked _shocked!_ Of all things! An apologetic look was painted on his face in ugly colors of deceit.

“Oh, baby, ’m sorry. I didn't mean to do that. Forgive me-”

“Get out.”

Reiner paused for a second, the color leaving his face. “You can't kick me out, this is my fucking apartment!”

“The lease is under my fucking name, you dumbass! Get out! _Get out!_ I don't want to see you or your fucking face anymore!” Eren pushed at Reiner’s shoulders violently and gestured wildly to the front door.

“Okay? Well what about us, then? How are we supposed to be _boyfriends_ if you won't fucking look at my face?!” Reiner roared as he stepped in closer to Eren to get in his face. He grabbed Eren by the collar and shook him harshly. His face was reddened by the alcohol and the anger. Reiner was nothing like he used to be. He used to be so level-headed. Calm. Sweet, even.

Was it the alcohol? Or was Reiner simply not who he thought he was?

Wrenching the offending hand from his shirt, Eren quietly stepped away and stared blankly at the corner of the room. His hands wouldn't stop shaking.

Time meant nothing. It was all too slow, too insignificant to mean anything. Yet at the same time, it went too fast for Eren to keep up with. Three years of routine and familiarity, gone in a single night.

“That's just the thing, Reiner. We won't.” Eren said with a hard voice. A tear ran down his cheek. “We’re done.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback will be greatly appreciated <3


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit of a downer, but it gets better next chapter, I promise! I'm not too satisfied with this chapter, but I still hope you enjoy it! c;

The sunlight filtering through Eren’s blinds woke him up early the next morning.

He groaned and pried his swollen eyes open to blink tiredly at the pale ceiling above him. He brought up a hand to rub harshly at his cheeks, stiff from the tear stains streaked across them. What had happened last night, again?

His stomach grumbled loudly. Still half asleep, he kicked his legs over the side of the bed and trudged his way over to the bathroom. Eren brushed his teeth with half-open eyes and nearly ran into the door frame on his way out.

Walking through the living room to get to the kitchen, he didn't pay attention to his surroundings and harshly jammed his toe on a glass bottle on the floor. He yelped in pain and leapt back.

“Reiner, you left your goddamn-”

It all came back in a blur.

The dinner. The napkin. Reiner. _Levi._

Eren’s heart clenched painfully at the thought of his ex-boyfriend, but fell even further when he thought about Levi. He didn't have his number. He only had half a name and not a single way to contact the man.

And _Reiner_ , that motherfucker. He had been a sour boyfriend in the last few months of their relationship, really. He drank too often and cussed Eren out. Skipped out on plans. In the last few arguments they had, Reiner even had the gall to shove Eren around the apartment. Eren would shove back, of course. But he was tired of it all. Their breakup was inevitable, it seemed. They were falling apart.

It didn't make it hurt any less.

Eren suddenly wasn't so hungry anymore. He ambled back to his bed and pulled the covers over his head.

For hours, he laid in bed. Time seemed to stretch endlessly, the hours of misery seeming more like decades.

He knew better, but with tears leaking from the corners of his eyes, he wondered if everything was his fault. He wondered if things would have turned out differently if he tried harder to make his relationship work with Reiner. He wondered if he would be cuddled up with Reiner right now, enjoying a lazy Sunday morning if he had just walked out of the restaurant when Levi sat down at that table. Even better, if he walked out of that restaurant before Levi even had the chance.

The horrible, dark little corner of his mind was glad he didn't, though. He was glad because he met Levi. But he shouldn't have been.

It had only been a day, but he missed Reiner. Eren missed their play fights, their rare breakfasts with each other. He missed the way they would curl up next to each other to watch the television. He missed the banter, the warmth, the routine of it all.

But he didn't miss the way Reiner would drink himself drunk on nights they were supposed to go out together. Eren didn't miss the way Reiner would try to force himself on him when he was intoxicated, or the way he would demean Eren’s self worth.

So maybe the breakup was Eren's fault. Maybe he hadn't been the perfect boyfriend, but neither was Reiner. Reiner and his stupid beer and his stupid petty arguments and his _stupid-_

Eren flung the covers off and stomped over to the closet. He ripped Reiner’s clothes out in a frenzy and practically flew through the hallway to the front door. He ripped it open and stepped out onto the balcony and threw the pile of clothes onto the patch of grass below. He watched the garments flutter to the ground with an angry glow of satisfaction.

The next few hours were spent tearing through his apartment, gathering Reiner’s things and tossing them over the railing in front of his apartment door. He covered every nook and cranny, making sure there were no traces of Reiner to be found. He ripped his posters off the walls, tore his suitcase out of the closet. Reiner’s computer found its place in the pile of abandoned belongings (though Eren made sure to banish it in a less damaging manner than everything else). At the very end, he even threw Reiner’s favorite cereal over the balcony. Fuck Raisin Bran.

 

 

A knock at the door startled Eren from his anguished, post-breakup afternoon nap. He scrubbed at his eyes and blinked blearily at the door from his spot on the couch.

“Eren? Are you there? Should I go home?” a familiar voice called through the front door.

Eren tiredly wondered why Armin was standing outside his door. He jolted up when he remembered that he had promised to binge watch all of the _Iron Man_ movies with him this afternoon. Cursing wildly, he leapt off the couch, pulling the door open clumsily. His best friend was standing in the doorway, wearing a blue cardigan over a white t-shirt and jeans. Blonde, shoulder-length hair was tied back in a ponytail and a grocery bag was held in a slender hand.

“Armin! Hi,” he chirped, the sincerity of it lost in the sadness still enveloping his heart.

The blond looked Eren over warily. “Hello, Eren. Should I ask why Reiner’s things are all over the lawn, or is it too soon?”

Eren groaned and went back to slump over the couch, leaving the door wide open. Armin let himself in and locked the door behind him.

“Too soon, then.” He shot a pitying look at Eren’s lifeless form on the couch. “Still up for _Iron Man?_ It might cheer you up.”

Eren rubbed his head against the couch, making a vague nodding motion. A ‘yes’, then.

Armin grabbed a pint of ice cream and a spoon from the kitchen to set it beside Eren’s head. He got a grunt of appreciation in return and set off to set up the movie.

As the introduction played, the blond grabbed the grocery bag of junk food and settled on the end of the couch by Eren’s feet. Eren was half laying on his side and was half-heartedly spooning chocolate fudge brownie ice cream into his mouth.

They made it a little over halfway through the movie before Eren threw himself off the couch to shut off the T.V.

“No, I can't do it, nonononono.” he cried, curling up into a ball by the coffee table.

“Eren? What's wrong?” Armin shot up and gingerly stepped over to Eren to pat at his head, combing through the chocolate locks with his fingers.

“They were so… lovey dovey with each other, I can't take it. Why can't I have that anymore?”

“They aren't even dating, Eren. She's his assistant.”

“They were flirting!” Eren wailed, rolling back and forth on the ground.

Armin sighed deeply. “You need to talk to me. What happened between you and Reiner? It must have been pretty bad if you did something as petty as toss his things over the lawn.”

Eren sat up with a frown and regarded Armin with a sad expression.

“I don't really want to talk about it right now, Ar. Things happened. We broke up. He’s gone, and now I’m living alone in this apartment with no boyfriend-” he cut himself off and widened his eyes in horror. “I’m living in this apartment alone with no boyfriend! What am I going to do? I can't pay rent all by myself! And I can't move! It's so fucking _expensive_ around here!” he shuddered at the memory of him spending all those weeks trying to look for a cheap, decent apartment in the LA area.

“Doesn't your lease expire in a couple of months? January, was it? If you want to, you can move in with me.” Armin said offhandedly. “I live alone in that giant house I inherited from granddad, so you'll just have to help pay for utilities and stuff.”

Eren kept staring at Armin with wide eyes, unmoving.

Armin cleared his throat. “I mean, I’m your best friend, right? It's the least I can do. Do you not want to?”

Eren seemed to be frozen in his spot. Armin felt mildly alarmed, since he knew Eren to be one to never keep still for too long. Maybe it was too much for his friend to take in at once. With the breakup, his internal crisis, and now having to find somewhere else to live, it wasn't surprising.

 _Oh, great, he’s finally snapped,_ he thought.

Armin waved a hand in front of his friend’s face, calling out worriedly to him. He poked at his cheek until a tear slipped out of Eren’s eye, and the blond bounced back on the couch, startled.

“...Eren? If you don't want to you can just tell me. I won't be offended. Heck, you said _Titanic_ was _abominable_ the other week. If that didn't offend me-”

Suddenly, Armin had a groveling brunet in his lap, thanking him profusely through tears.It took a while for Eren to calm down after that, Armin consoling the other boy with comforting pats on the back. He had an inkling feeling that the other man was crying for more than just his housing offer.

* * *

 

Eren told Armin about his dinner with Levi a week later.

He felt awful— like absolute shit, really— that he kept thinking about another man so soon after a breakup. But he couldn't help it.

He just felt such a strong connection to the other man. They agreed on more things than not, even if their personalities couldn't be more different than each other. Eren truly felt happy in the few hours he spent with Levi. And now he couldn't contact him at all.

A week of frustration and inner turmoil brought Eren to Armin’s living room on a chilly Sunday afternoon in early December, slumped over the coffee table with a tub of ice cream. He had so many pent up feelings, he needed to let it out.

“So let me get this straight…” Armin said slowly. “You scheduled to have a romantic dinner with your boyf- _ex_ -boyfriend, said man didn't show up, mysterious actor-dude man _did_ show up, you guys had a lovely dinner, he gave you his number, Reiner found out, and you two broke up?”

“Don't forget the fact that Reiner burned the mysterious actor-dude’s number,” Eren chipped in.

Mikasa, Eren’s adoptive sister whom Armin called over shortly after Eren showed up on his doorstep, interrupted Eren with a sigh. “Eren, you shouldn't have had his number in the first place. You had a boyfriend already. That's why he broke up with you, wasn't it? Throwing his things out on the lawn like that wasn't exactly mature, either.”

“Eren was the one who dumped Reiner,” Armin helpfully supplied. “But I have to agree with Mika here, Eren. You should have gotten up and left when Levi sat down. Regardless of whether or not you were having problems in the relationship, it's awful of you to go around behind his back.”

Eren grumbled and stabbed his ice cream repeatedly with his spoon. “We were bound to break up, anyway. That's not the point.”

“Eren.” Mikasa warned, shooting a look at Armin. The blond only shrugged and went back to eating from his bag of potato chips.

“There’s no point in trying to knock sense into him, Mika. All we can do is forget the past and do something so that Eren doesn't mope forever.” he said simply. “Eren, why don't you go out and find him? He might be in the same boat as you, wondering how to get in contact with you. Maybe he went back to that restaurant to try to find you.”

Eren’s eyes widened. He bolted up from his spot on the floor and pointed his spoon at Armin.

“You’re brilliant! Gosh, this is why I’m friends with you, Ar!” he yelled in joy.

Armin looked perplexed. “ _That’s_ why you're friends with-”

Eren started pacing around the living room. “I just need to go back to the restaurant everyday around the time that we met that night, and I’ll definitely find him again! That was what, 7 o’ clock…” Eren suddenly halted in place. “I have exams all week. I can't go to the restaurant if I have exams! I have to study. I don't have _time-_ ”

A snort from the other side of the room interrupted him mid speech.

“Since when do you study, Eren?” Mikasa laughed. “I haven't seen you study since high school. No, actually, I don't think I’ve ever seen you study at all.”

Eren growled and plopped back down next to his tub of ice cream. He swirled the melting dessert absentmindedly, staring at the patterns in the cream. What was he going to do? Was it hopeless? He really wanted to see the other man again. Not even just to date him. If they could be friends, that would be enough for Eren. But with the way things look right now, he wouldn't even have the chance.

Maybe it was karma. Fate tempted him by dangling an unobtainable man right in front of his eyes, just to see what he would do. He had a _boyfriend_ for crying out loud. So when he took Levi’s number, he cursed himself. But then if that were true, he would have ended up without Levi’s number either way.

Eren whined, a pathetic little sound deep in his throat, and dropped his head into the table with a resounding _thunk._ He punishingly hit his head against the table over and over until Mikasa forced him to stop by yanking on his ear.

“If you keep doing that, you'll get brain damage and you'll never meet him again, no matter how hard you try.” she scolded.

Armin chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head. “Eren, you can always go to the restaurant after your exams are over.”

He could. After finals, he could spend everyday waiting outside for the raven-haired man to come along and sweep him off his feet. But would the man wait for him for that long? Would he wait for Eren at all?

“By then, it'll be too late,” the brunet whined.

Mikasa cuffed the back of his head with a loud sigh. “That’s your only option, Eren. Take it or leave it.” she stood up and wrapped her scarf around her neck, making her way to the front door. “I have to go now. I’m meeting up with Annie for dinner.”

Eren perked up at that.

“You have a date with Annie?”

Mikasa blushed scarlet. She burrowed her face into her scarf to hide her flaming cheeks. “It’s not a date,” she huffed. “...maybe.”

“It is _so_ a date!” Eren squealed, leaping off of the floor to grab his sister in a bear hug.

Mikasa shoved him lightly off of her in exasperation. “Why are you so enthusiastic about this? You're going to make me late, so go away.” She shoved her feet in her boots and yanked the door open.

Eren bounded after her with a shit-eating grin on his face.

“I dunno, Mika. Maybe it's 'cause you haven't had a girlfriend since that girl junior year in highschool that made fun of you for being asexual, and since Annie is also asexual, and you guys are disgustingly flirty with each other already, it works out _perfectly_ -”

“Okay, I’m leaving now. Good _bye_ , Eren. See you later, Armin!”

The door slammed shut.

* * *

 

The whole week after exams ended, Eren spent his evenings outside of the restaurant. He waited outside like a bum, just sitting on the curb waiting for a certain raven haired man to come along and recognize him.

He had no such luck.

Anytime a man with black hair passed through the restaurant door, Eren felt his spirits rise to the heavens, only to plummet when he realized it wasn't Levi. The person’s hair would be too long, their shoulders too broad or their stature too tall.

Eventually, the restaurant owner himself came out to shoo Eren away. Apparently he was making customers ‘uncomfortable’.

But his failure at the restaurant didn't stop him from searching for the man everywhere he went. He would go to a different coffee shop everyday before work, just to see if it happened to be one that the elusive raven frequented. He would walk streets he'd never walked before, just for a higher chance of seeing a familiar face.

But by the time he was moved and settled in the spare room in Armin’s house, he began to realize that it was all for naught. It had been three months since he last saw Levi, and he was losing hope that he would ever see the man again.

February was lonely for him, and Eren found himself looking for the man less and less.

It was a big city and a hopeless wish. To Eren, it seemed as though fate wasn't on his side for this one. So in March when the flowers began to bloom, he gave up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is loved~


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ACWNR spoilers! Kind of. Well, yeah, they're spoilers.
> 
> Updating will be less frequent after this chapter. Maybe once or twice a week, idk. Or maybe I'll get too excited and post the next chapter right away haha :P But I will definitely aim to release at least one chapter a week!
> 
> I hope you enjoy the chapter! <3

“Eren! Let's go! We’re going to be late! Armin is already in the car!”

Eren shot up from his position half slumped over the sink with a toothbrush in his mouth. _Why_ he had agreed to go to a midnight showing of a movie the day after his last final (which he had not slept in 36 hours for), was beyond him. He was being dragged along by his sister and his roommate, who seemed to be very avid fans of the director who worked on the movie.

“Cominph!” he yelled through a mouthful of toothpaste. He rinsed his mouth out and sighed as he hurried through the hallway and living room of their house and out through the front door. Armin’s little Toyota was running, with Armin at the wheel and Mikasa sitting shotgun. Eren jumped into the backseat. He hastily buckled himself in and turned his head to look out of his window as Armin pulled out of the driveway.

A few blocks down the road, Eren leaned forward in his seat.

“What's the movie we’re seeing again?”

Armin rolled his eyes at Eren through the rearview mirror. “Eren, how do you not remember? It's the movie Mikasa and I have been talking about all week! It's the movie Hollywood has been talking about all year!”

Eren huffed and fell back into his seat. “It's not _my_ fault I don't worship movies like you people. I just watch them occasionally. Like _normal_ people.”

“Eren, the old lady down the street has heard of this movie.”

“She has a 15-year-old grandson who really likes movies!”

Mikasa let out a bark of laughter at that. “Eren, you have two best friends who really like movies. Anyway, the movie is called _No Regrets_. It's about this mafia boss who is in conflict with the police force and is led to question himself and his morals. They cast a ton of A-list actors for this, and Erwin-”

“-Smith directed it after a ten-year hiatus from directing, it's supposed to be the film of the century, I _know,_ Mikasa.” Eren groaned.

“You weren't saying that when you asked for the title of the film. Trust me, once you see a movie by Smith, your life will change forever.” Armin giggled. “Anyway, we’re here.”

The trio got out of the car and headed towards the crowded theater. Living in Los Angeles, going to the first showing of any big movie at any theater was difficult. It was usually packed to the brim with avid moviegoers, and the crowded space could get very humid. Eren was beginning to regret agreeing to come to this.

A lot of shuffling, squeezing through crowds of people, and a purchase of a large popcorn later, Eren found himself sandwiched between Armin and a bratty ten-year-old who wouldn't stop throwing popcorn at him.

The lights dimmed and the movie started.

_The black screen transitioned into a scene with three figures freerunning through an alleyway, presumably away from a chaser. There were two males and one female: a short man with black hair, a tall, gangly man with fair blond, and a petite girl with fiery red hair. Their faces were obscured by masks with grotesque depictions of humanoid monsters adorning them._

_Out of nowhere, a giant blond man clad in a police uniform jumped down from the rooftops, scattering the trio. The red-haired girl sprinted to the left and the lanky blond veered off to the right. The giant and the raven were the only two left in the alley._

_Time seemed to stop, the mysterious man and the officer caught in a deadlock, staring each other down from opposite ends of the alleyway. And then suddenly, all at once, everything flew into motion._

_Fists went flying, daggers were procured and slashed with devastating accuracy. However, the two seemed to be equally matched. Hit after hit was hashed out. Sharp sounds of scraping metal rang through the alley. None of their blows seemed to hit their mark, at least until the now-maskless red-haired girl appeared at the mouth of the alleyway to call out to the raven. His guard faltered for a second, and the giant took his chance. He grabbed the shorter man and flung him over his shoulder, ripping the mask off and pressing his face into a murky puddle._

_The man’s companions were thrown down onto the dirt beside him, and his head was lifted from the mud._

_The blonde man made him an offer: join their police force or spend a life behind bars._

As the camera panned to capture his filthy, defeated face, Eren felt a strange pull towards the man. He thought he’d recognized his face, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

The plot progressed, and Eren found himself thinking about the recognition less. He was completely absorbed in the movie. He felt a rush of adrenaline when the man and his partners acted as turncoats to destroy the justice force. He laughed when the trio was together and cried when they were torn apart. The main lead’s anguished screams in the scene where he finds his companions’ dead bodies on the mountain of corpses tore Eren’s heart apart. The movie ended with the main lead flying away on a helicopter with his new police squad, bruised and bloodied, with a promise to live a good life for his friends. A life with no regrets. A promise to kill every last person in the gang falling from his lips. The credits rolled and Eren felt vaguely empty.

Eren left the theater in a daze, trailing behind Mikasa and Armin who were already animatedly discussing the movie.

“Erwin Smith really outdid himself with this movie. I heard there’s going to be a sequel.”

“Levi Ackerman did, too. Man, I really thought those screams were real for a minute. That entire movie just felt so real.”

Eren blanched as he registered the words Armin said. It was impossible. It was too much of a coincidence. It wasn't possible.

“A-Ar… what did you just say?”

“The screams? When the main character lost his friends? It felt really real. Like Levi Ackerman actually lost his best friends.”

Something suddenly clicked in Eren’s mind as they pushed through the doors of the theater lobby.

“L-Levi Ackerman, you say?” Eren’s voice went up an octave.

Mikasa pursed her lips and put a hand on his forehead. “Eren, are you okay? If this was too soon after finals, you should have told us. You didn't have to come if you didn't feel well.”

Armin seemed more perturbed by the fact that Eren didn't know who Levi Ackerman was.

“Please tell me you’ve heard of Levi Ackerman,” he groaned. “Come _on,_ Eren, he’s the most popular actor of the generation! The _librarian_ has heard of him! She never leaves the library! Or watches movies!”

Eren felt jittery. “W-well I’ve heard of a _Levi_ , but not so much of a Levi _Ackerman_ , so to speak.”

Armin seemed to realize what Eren meant. “Eren, what did you say Levi’s last name was? Your dinner Levi, I mean.” he said in a high voice.

“I don’t think I ever told you,” Eren mumbled. “I-I don't know what his last name is, but the napkin said, ‘ _Levi A.’_...”

He should have fucking known.

_Small gig fucking actor, my ass._

“Eren, are you sure it's him?” his adoptive sister asked, stopping the group just outside of the car. “Did you recognize him in the movie?”

“I mean, I thought the main character kind of looked familiar…” he trailed off in uncertainty.

“Holy shit,” Armin breathed, regarding Eren with a mixture of awe and pure worship. “You went on a date with Levi Ackerman!”

A group of passersby stopped to watch the trio curiously, whispering loudly to each other. Mikasa hushed Armin harshly and yanked open the car door to shove him inside. Rounding the car to clamber inside, she gestured for Eren to do the same.

Mikasa and Armin stared hard at Eren for a few seconds. They shared a look and then turned to face Eren with strange expressions. Eren clenched his eyes shut as the two barraged him with questions.

“Are you sure it's him?”

“Ohmygod, you met Levi Ackerman in person?”

“I don't know, Eren, you know you aren't the best at recognizing faces. What if it's someone else?”

“You need to find him this could be-”

“I don't know if that's a good idea, he's an _actor_ , you don't know if he’s-”

“-good for you!” the two finished together, both in contrasting levels of excitement.

Eren groaned and slouched in his seat.

“Guys! Guys, please, _shut up._ ” he said tiredly. “I’m not even going to go after him! I've already tried that. You don't exactly go to your nearest Wal-Mart and pick up a pocket-Levi at your convenience! It was a one time thing, anyway. I'll never see him again.” he muttered the last part bitterly. Even though he didn't like it, that was the truth. It was just a far-off dream, now.

Mikasa frowned. “Why are you so caught up on him, anyway? You only knew him for a few hours.”

Eren merely shrugged. The car filled with a dense silence.

“You know…” Mikasa began.

“You would've known it was him if you’d have watched more movies.” Armin finished.

Eren scoffed. “Shut up.”

Mikasa hummed, a thoughtful expression on her face. “This makes it even harder to find him. Since he’s a famous person, and all. Plus, actors of his calibre have bodyguards.”

“Not Levi,” Armin said. “But he has his manager following him everywhere he goes. Honestly, it reminds me of Tony Stark and his assistant. She even has the strawberry blonde hair,” he paused, tapping his finger against his thigh. “But wouldn't him being a famous person make it easier to find him? There's press following celebrities all the time.”

Eren yawned and leaned his head against the headrest. It was too much to think about this late at night. He needed sleep. He could worry about stupid, lying, attractive actors in the morning.

“Let's just go home, guys. We can talk about this later.”

They drove home in relative silence. Eren was drifting in and out of consciousness, the sound of Armin and Mikasa having quiet conversation lulling him to sleep. Mikasa was dropped off at her apartment, and soon enough, Eren found himself huddled under his sheets, falling asleep to thoughts of elusive raven haired men with Teslas and multi-million dollar acting careers.

* * *

 

Eren spent the next week binge watching every single film and television show the raven haired man starred in. He even found a couple of Bottega Veneta and Ralph Lauren cologne ads the man was in. ‘Cheap cologne ads’, the man had said?

The films were some of the best Eren has ever seen. Most were action movies, but there were a few romances thrown into the mix. Regardless of the genre, media, or even if Levi didn't star as the main lead, Eren watched every second of every video that the man had starred in.

Embarrassingly enough, Eren eventually realized that he’d seen some of the movies already. How had he not recognized the man in the restaurant? Albeit, he was completely awful at recognizing faces.

Sighing, he closed his laptop and set it to the side. He really spent the last 6 days shut in his room watching movies and various clips of late night talk shows. Ramen cups were littered over every surface of the room. Half empty water bottles surrounded him on his bed. Eren really only left the sanctuary of his room to use the toilet and shower.

He needed to get out.

After a quick shower, Eren stumbled out of his room and into the kitchen to find Armin cooking a late lunch. The blond looked up at him from his eggs in surprise.

“So he lives,” the boy joked. “Are you going out?”

“Yeah. I have to see the sunlight sometime, right?” Eren laughed in response. He grabbed his keys and a granola bar from the pantry. “I’ll probably be back in a few hours.

Armin nodded and flipped his omelette. “Don't forget we’re going to a bar with Jean and the others later tonight.”

Eren startled and backtracked his steps to look at the calendar pinned on the wall. How had it already become Friday?

“Oh, I forgot about that,” he said sheepishly. “I’ll be there. Bar Rose as usual?”

“Always.”

Eren flashed a thumbs-up and left the house.

Clambering clumsily into his car, Eren started it with a horrible sputtering sound and pulled out of the driveway. He drove through the neighborhood leisurely, whistling along to whatever trashy pop song was playing on the radio.

As he exited the neighborhood, he noticed a billboard at the intersection— large, obvious, and mocking. In all the months he’s lived in Armin’s house, he never noticed it.

It was a fucking sign of Levi’s face, blown up to the size of a damn house to promote his newest movie.

No Regrets, _huh? Well, I definitely have several._  


 

Eren fumed all the way into the city. He drove around mindlessly, weaving through the streets until he found himself somewhere he had never been before. He recognized almost none of the street names and only slightly more, the names of the establishments that were littered along the street.

In front of an empty little coffee shop, he noticed a rare, vacant parking spot. Taking his chance, he pulled in and dumped his handful of change into the parking meter.

As he pushed through the front door of the shop, he noticed a few things. For one, he noticed that the place was very homey, with its soft ambient lighting and wooden furniture. Then, he noticed the short little barista, her black hair tied into little pigtails and her face arranged in a kindly smile. _‘Mina',_ her name tag read. And finally, way back in a dimly lit corner of the room, Eren noticed a figure hunched over the table, nursing a steaming cup of tea while scrolling on his phone.

He almost paid no mind to the stranger. Almost. At least, until he noticed the small frame and the shiny, designer-brand leather shoes. His throat immediately felt dry, and his heart pounded in his chest like he had just run a full marathon.

Four months. Four months of actively looking for the man before giving up, and then three months later he comes across him by completely stupid _chance?_

Idly shuffling his feet to the counter, he vaguely registered the lady’s cheerful greeting and ordered an iced coffee. He paid for his drink and shoved the change in his pocket, not once looking away from the dark little corner.

As the barista made his drink, he shifted his eyes from the stranger to his own shoes, picking at the hem of his shirt and tapping his foot.

After what felt like an eternity, the girl handed him his drink with another smile. He nodded in thanks and took a deep breath to calm his shaking nerves.

Eren felt his feet carry him to the little table, the cup of coffee trembling slightly in his grasp. He stopped just to the side of the vacant seat across the table from the man and rested a hand on the chair. He shakily cleared his throat and smiled nervously at the stranger.

“Is anyone sitting here?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a cliffhanger... sorry... Maybe. ;) But hint hint: someone will be coming back onto the stage next chapter!
> 
> Leave a comment or a kudos~<3 Or both, if you so please c;


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here comes the long awaited chapter! I really meant to post this earlier, but things happened, and I ended up posting it today.  
> orz
> 
> Enjoy!

Eren stood by the table nervously, hand clamming up on the backrest of the chair. “No? —” he paused— “Okay!”

He pulled the chair out and plopped down on it unceremoniously. Setting his cup on the table, he drank in the details of the man sitting in front of him.

Levi looked about the same as the last time Eren saw him, though Eren had to admit that the casual look suited Levi better. He wore a simple grey t-shirt and faded jeans. A pair of heavily tinted sunglasses was perched on his nose. His hair was still styled in that undercut, though slightly obscured by the beanie pulled over his head. Who wears beanies in June?

“I was wondering if you could give me a recommendation? I was thinking about switching from Polo cologne to Bottega Veneta, but since they're both  _ so cheap,  _ it wouldn't matter anyway, right? What do you think?”

The man scrolled a little more on his phone. The coffee shop’s bell jingled. 

Eren sighed. “You know, it's rude to ignore people.”

The man scowled and looked over the rim of his sunglasses to glare at Eren.

“And it's rude to sit at people’s tables without permission,” he said.

“I’m sorry, did I say that to you when you sat down at my table seven months ago?” Eren smirked over his cup of coffee. “I was hoping you'd return the hospitality.”

The man rolled his eyes before sliding sunglasses back up his nose. “I don't know what you're talking about, kid.”

Eren faltered. Was this not Levi? Was this not the person he connected with over an almost-ruined dinner half a year ago? No, it must be. Eren was sure it was him, and he wasn't going to let him go this time.

“Do you really not remember me? Come on, I know you do. Eren? Eren Jae-”

“I know who you are. You're a fucking moron who won't stop bugging a random stranger you decided to curse with your presence. Go away.”

“Why are you pretending like you don't know me?” Eren pressed. He felt anxious. What if Levi really  _ didn't  _ remember him?

“I don't know why I have to answer to a shitty brat who didn't bother to shoot a simple text to me after I so  _ graciously _ gave him my number.”  _ Aha _ .

“Hey, I can explain that. My boyf-”

“I know you have a boyfriend,” Levi interrupted. “But a simple ‘no’ would've sufficed.”

“If you'd just let me explain-”

“I don't need to hear anything from you. You owe me some favors, right? Well here's one-”

“Would you just-”

“-piss off!”

“He burned the fucking napkin, okay?” Eren burst, frustration pooling in his gut. “It wasn't my fault, so stop fucking  _ accusing _ me!”

The air felt tense. Eren was silently fuming in his seat. Why didn't Levi believe him? Can't he see that it wasn't his fault? Well. If Eren had been the one to give his number and not get a response, he supposed he might have been a little angry, too.

_ ‘A little angry’, _ an imaginary Mikasa scoffed at him from his mind.  _ You would have thrown a tantrum like a little four-year-old whose toy was stolen.  _

Even in his own head, Mikasa was infuriatingly correct.

Levi, at least, had the mind to look a little sheepish. He took his sunglasses off and set them down on the table. Humming quietly, he lightly fingered the rim of his cup.

“Why are you here?”

Eren curled his lip like a petulant child. “Why are  _ you _ here?” he huffed. 

“I actually like the drinks here.” Levi folded his hands under his chin with a glint in his eye, playing the part of a gossiping teenager. “Your turn!” he bubbled, face still a blank slate.

Seeing Levi act peppy with a straight face was disorienting. 

Eren laughed haltingly and scratched his cheek. “I was just driving.”

“Driving?”

“Y'know.” Eren said. “Around.”

“Around.” Levi parroted dully.

Eren stared at Levi, mind blank. This conversation was probably going to go on his list of ‘Top 10 Most Painful Conversations I've Ever Had’. It would probably take first place, actually. 

Months and months of agonizing over the possibility of never seeing this man again, and  _ this _ is what the reunion is like? He was hoping it would be happier, or less awkward, or  _ romantic, _ even. Not… whatever this silence was.

Eren sighed in exasperation. “What do you want me to say to you?”

Levi shrugged. “Whatever makes up for you being a flaky piece of shit.”

“I’m here now, aren't I!?”

“You weren't, before.”

“Well, what was I supposed to do!? Jesus, Levi, I didn't even really know who you were back then!”

“You could have found me,” Levi said.

“I still didn't know who you were until two weeks ago!”

“Everyone knows who I am. If you walk anywhere in this city, there's probably a billboard of my face somewhere.”

“Well— you could have found  _ me! _ ” he sputtered indignantly. He was ashamed to know that he hadn't noticed the billboard until recently, especially since there was one right outside the neighborhood Armin’s house was in.

“You don’t think I’ve tried, brat? Do you know how many universities there are ‘a few streets from Main’!?”

Eren was surprised to hear that Levi actually tried to find him, too. “You could've found me on social media.” he said.

Levi looked taken aback. “Fuck.  _ Social media. _ Of fucking course,” he cursed under his breath. He pursed his lips and glared at Eren. “Well, it's easier to find a celebrity than an average person. You have no excuse.”

“You lied to me.” Eren accused, pouting and pointing a finger between Levi’s eyes. The raven batted his hand away with a sour look.

“I didn't lie. I simply bent the truth. That, and you’re just dense.” He muttered that last part under his breath.

“That's not nice!” Eren cried. “That's not something you say to someone you're trying to get the number of-”

“Last I checked, I wasn't trying to get anyone’s number.”

“That's not what you were saying that night in November!”

Levi snorted. “That's what she said.”

Eren looked scandalized. “Stop joking around! You said you only did small gigs. Shitty cologne ads! Not blockbuster movies or… or— ” he gestured vaguely to Levi— “ _ that. _ ”

Levi scoffed. He really had no idea what to do with this kid. “Values are relative. What could be big to one person could be small to someone else, you brat.” he said.

Eren stared long and hard at Levi for a few beats before responding with a derisive snort. “Were you trying to sound arrogant? 'Cause you did. Just so you know.”

“I don't have to try. It just comes naturally.” Levi replied sardonically, swallowing the last of his tea and standing up from his chair. He put his sunglasses on and turned to Eren with an almost-apologetic expression. “Sorry to cut the reunion short, kid, but I have a meeting to be at in— ” he glanced at his expensive wristwatch— “thirty minutes.”

Eren panicked. After half a year of searching for the man, he finally found him. Now he was slipping away from him after just a handful of minutes.

Desperately, he shot up from his seat and latched on to the man’s wrist. He gazed down at him with pathetic, pleading eyes.

“Wait!” he yelled abruptly. “I— after all this time, I finally found— and then— now—” Eren blinked a few times before coughing abashedly. He pulled his hands back to his sides and stared hard at Levi’s empty mug sitting in the table. “Don't leave.”

Eren was desperate to make this work. He wanted to get to know the older man, even if the path to get there was full of embarrassment. On that first night, he felt something click. He would do anything to grip onto that feeling. 

Levi huffed in exasperation.

“This is a really important meeting. I have to go,  _ now _ .” he sighed impatiently.

Eren kept his eyes on the mug, but out of the corner of his eye, he could see Levi’s feet walking away. He tried not to let the sinking feeling consume his heart in vain. It was like trying to save the Titanic. If he could see his own face right now, he was sure he looked completely and utterly dejected.

He stared harder at the cup, waiting for the telltale jingle of the bell to signify the end of his luck. It was that fate thing, again. Maybe their paths were destined to dance around each other, but never cross. It was an absolute shame that he couldn't-

_ Smack! _

His train of thought was interrupted by a light stinging sensation in his forehead and the corners of a colored paper obscuring his vision. He slowly peeled the sticky note from his skin and rubbed the tender area with a wince. 

“Jesus, you look constipated. Let's hurry this up so that I can leave and you can take a nice, long shit.” Levi— who apparently  _ hadn't _ left — said teasingly. “This is the last time I'm giving you my number, so don't let any shitty boyfriend burn it again.”

Eren crinkled his nose in disgust. “That’s disgusting. And I don't have a boyfriend, so you don't have to worry about that.”

Levi seemed intrigued.

“So things didn't work out with that guy? I'm sorry to hear that,” the older man drawled, a jestful glint in his eye. “I can offer you some comfort in this trying time?”

Eren turned scarlet and turned his face away from Levi. “Don't say things you don't mean,” he muttered. “I broke up with him that same night.”

The night he met Levi.

Levi’s lips turned up slightly as he reached up to tap the underside of the brunet’s chin with a finger before pushing through the front doors with a jingle.

“I’m off.”

* * *

 

“Why do you look so disgustingly pleased with yourself? It kinda makes me wanna puke.”

Eren rolled his eyes and swirled his drink in its glass. “Shut up, Jean. Is this really what you want my last memory of you to be like?”

Their group of friends were gathered at the bar for Jean’s going-away party. Jean was traveling overseas for the rest of the summer to study abroad in Italy. It was just for a simple summer business program, but everyone joked that Jean was leaving to ‘go find himself’.

“You make it sound like I’m going to die, you suicidal bastard.” Jean sneered, taking a large gulp from his own cup.

“Oh, believe me. One can only dream, Jeanny boy.”

“Oh, eat my-”

“What’s up, guys?” Connie interrupted, shoving himself in between Jean and Eren at the bar to order a drink. “Cramming in those last death threats to each other before Jean leaves, I see!”

Jean shoved Connie in the shoulder jokingly. Eren laughed into his glass, and Connie grinned, rubbing his hand over his buzzcut.

“Hey, Jean, Sasha just got here. She wants to make sure she can say bye to you before you get too hammered.” Connie said.

“Alright,” Jean replied. “Where is she sitting?”

“She's over in that booth with the others. C'mon!”

“Later, Jeager.” Jean said as he left.

As Eren watched the two boys walk away, he noticed Historia walking towards him. A small, warm smile was on her face and her blonde hair was pleated in a simple braid over her shoulder.

“What’s a pretty little lady like you doin' here all by yourself?” she jibed playfully in a low voice as she slid next to Eren.

He snorted. “What are you doing?”

Historia laughed, the sound a light tinkle ringing clear through the noise of the bar. “I’m practicing my pickup lines on you. How are they?” she said.

“Awful, really.”

“Why don't you join the others?” Historia asked.

Eren looked over at the booth where their friends were sitting. On one side, Jean was armwrestling Ymir, and Connie and Sasha were egging them on. Mikasa, Armin, and Annie were sitting off to the other side, watching the match with contented expressions. 

“I’ll come join you guys in a bit,” Eren replied.

Historia nodded and pushed herself away from the bar. “Don’t take too long,” she said, taking a few steps back towards the booth. “You look kind of stupid sitting here by yourself.”

Eren soon found himself alone at the bar. Not that he minded, really, but he did think it was a little awkward to be sitting there by himself. He absently picked up his phone and thumbed through his contacts, landing on a new name.

It was odd, seeing Levi’s name there. It was weird knowing that to be in contact with the man, he only needed to press a few buttons. It was even weirder knowing that the man  _ wanted _ to be in contact with him. With great power comes great responsibility, he realized.

With that in mind, he tapped on the name.

...and only did just that.

He didn't know what he wanted to say to Levi. He twiddled his thumbs over the glowing screen. With a tongue stuck between his teeth, he mentally scrolled through all the possible texts he could send the man. Should he keep it casual? Or should he be somewhat formal? Should he act friendly, or stay reserved? Would Levi think he was annoying?

He typed and sent a message before immediately regretting it. 

_ hey its eren (; _

A winky face!? Really? What was he, twelve? Eren immediately locked his phone and closed his eyes with a groan. He slumped down in his seat and dragged a dry hand over his face. Was there a way to unsend messages?

He pulled up the text conversation again, about to type up a follow-up message, when he heard his name being called through the chatter in the room. 

Eren turned in his barstool and spotted Bertholdt waving at him. The man was like a skyscraper, his head emerging clearly through the sea of people. Back in highschool, Eren met Bertholdt through Annie, who he met through Mikasa. Bert was a quiet guy, but he was decently nice.

Eren raised a hand to wave back at Bertholdt before he saw who the taller guy had stuck under his arm.

“What is he doing here?” Eren hissed, shoving his phone into his back pocket.

“I’m sorry, Eren,” Bertholdt said. “He was drunk. I couldn't leave him home all alone when he's drunk.”

“So you brought him into public drunk!?”

“Well, he also really wanted to see you…”

“Eren!” Reiner called over the din of the bar. “Why din’tcha call m’ back?”

He slung a meaty arm over Eren’s shoulder. The brunet winced and shot an arm out to brace himself on the counter, knees nearly buckling from the weight.

“Reiner, I told you to stop calling me.” Eren said. He glared at Bert and Reiner one last time before flinging the blond’s arm off of himself and throwing back the rest of his drink. “I’m leaving.”

He ignored the protests behind him and slipped away from the bar to join the others.

As Eren neared the table, the sounds of someone’s fragile masculinity shattering reached his ears. Mikasa and Jean had their hands locked in another armwrestling match. Mikasa looked quite frankly bored, her dominant hand unwavering and her left hand resting lazily on her cheek. She was teasing Jean, Eren knew that for a fact. Jean on the other hand… well, Eren would be handing Jean a pan and a broom to sweep up whatever pride he has left after he loses.

Eren plopped himself down next to Mikasa just as she slammed Jean’s fist into the table. A chorus of cheers rang out around the table as everyone patted Jean on the back in consolation.

“Hey, so who invited Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dum?” Eren asked, jutting his chin out to the bar where the two offending parties still stood. Reiner had a glass of something amber in his hand, and Bertholdt looked nervous and sweaty as always.

Mikasa frowned and lightly swatted at Eren’s arm.

“Don't call Bertholdt that. He’s your friend.”

Eren scoffed. “Reiner isn't,” he said. “And Bert brought him here. So by association-”

Mikasa gave him a pointed look and he immediately shut up.

“Sorry about that,” Connie said to Eren. “I thought they would have liked to see Jean before he leaves on his journey of self discovery.”

“It doesn't look like they're coming over here, anyway.” Jean shrugged. “Don't you worry your little pretty-boy head, Jaeger.”

“Careful there, Secretariat. It kind of sounds like you’re worried about me.” Eren chortled.

“Never in a million years, asshat.” Jean said, glaring.

“I think it’s time for another round of drinks!” Sasha called out. “This one is on Jean!”

Jean's cries were drowned out by the sound of everyone’s cheers.

* * *

 

Eren groaned and threw himself onto his bed. His head still felt a little foggy through the haze of alcohol, even though he sobered up a little on the ride back home. Overall, he just felt  _ exhausted. _

Fumbling with his phone, he turned on the display to peer at the time. He winced when the screen lit up, momentarily blinding him. When spots stopped dancing in his vision, he noticed there was a text notification sitting under the clock on his phone. It was from Levi.

Suddenly wide awake, he unlocked his phone and pulled up the conversation.

_ Nice to know my number made it into your phone this time. _

The message was received just ten minutes after Eren sent his. That was three hours ago. Eren pulled at his lip with his teeth and wondered if he should text Levi back. After a solid two seconds of not thinking about his decision long enough, he shot Levi a text.

_ yup! no rampaging bfs to burn it this time _

He locked his phone and rested it on his stomach as he waited for a response. (Even though Levi could very well be asleep by now.)

Eren knew it was a little too late to be thinking about this kind of stuff now, but he started to doubt this whole thing with Levi. The man was an A-list actor, for goodness’ sake! Levi was coveted as a God in the movie industry. Eren was just a poor college student trying to become a kindergarten teacher. An average person with an average personality. A bit too average to be dancing with a star, right?

His phone buzzed on his stomach and startled him out of his thoughts.

_ It’s midnight. Don't brats have bedtimes? _

Eren grinned, all thoughts and insecurities falling from his mind like leaves from a tree.

_ cant have a bedtime if im not a brat _

_ why are u still awake, old man? _

_ Just got off set. You text like a teenager. _

Eren replied, ignoring Levi’s comment.  _ i didnt know u were working on a movie _

_ That's 'cause you live under a rock. I’m not even filming a movie yet. _

Eren stared at his screen, dumbfounded.

_ then why were u on set??? _

_ It was a talk show, dumbass. _

He flushed scarlet and fumbled for a response.

_ u know, its a wonder you made it this far in the entertainment industry w such a glittering personality like urs _

_ Thanks. _

Eren stared at the text for a while. He didn't know what to say. Desperate to keep the conversation going, he sent,  _ why do u text like ur writing a paper? _

The response was immediate.  _ Why do you text like you’re missing a thumb?  _

_ its faster… or not. how do u type so fast? _

_ Autocorrect is a glorious thing. _

Eren grinned tiredly at his phone. His eyes drooped as he tapped out his next message.

_ autocorrect is stupif _

He frowned at the words, agonizing over the irony of the entire text.

_ Go to sleep, Eren. _

Like the absolute child that he was, he refused. His eyes were barely open at this point. Eren struggled to stay awake. He harshly rubbed his fists over his eyes and yawned incessantly.

_ no _

_ Sleep, you idiot. _

But he was already asleep.

 


End file.
